Movie Scope

“Noah” – Bible Overboard

By Robert M. Snyder

Those buckling up for the end of the world may want to see “Noah.” It seems many have, with the film debuting at the top of the box office ($44 million).

The Bible is basically thrown overboard in co-writer-director Darren Aronofsky’s interpretation of The Great Flood. Noah (Russell Crowe) is a genocidal fanatic who sees himself as God’s zookeeper. He is to preserve the animals, while overseeing the destruction of humanity, including his own family.

Noah knows his family has no future because his only offspring are three sons and with no wives, except one who is barren. This means that God’s order, “Be fruitful and multiply,” does not apply to him, just the animals.

So, we have this poor woman, Noah’s wife Naameh (Jennifer Connelly), in this gigantic cargo container (the Ark), floating aimlessly on the flood waters with her sons, an infertile girl, wild beasts and a homicidal husband. It’s “The Shining” at sea. Not boring, but insane.

To make the movie more kid-friendly, Aronofsky has added a Transformers’ element. Colossal creaky stone monsters, called Watchers (voices of Nick Nolte and Frank Langella), are on hand to help build the Ark and keep evil human hordes away when the raindrops fall.

Where is the Book of Genesis in all this? Only when it fits Aronofsky’s crazy scheme. A dove to find land, and Noah’s drunken finale are few episodes from the Scripture. But the sons’ three wives are strangely absent. Does this mean God was sick of us almost in the beginning?